Selling jewellery in Ireland
How to sell jewellery in Ireland: melt value or resale value?
Every piece of jewellery has two possible values: its melt value, the gold or silver in it at today's price per gram, and its resale value as a piece someone wants to wear. Most jewellery sold in Ireland is worth its melt value, and that is real money: today we pay 34.93 euro per gram for 9ct and 75.18 euro per gram for 18ct (live as of 30 Sept, 23:22). A small number of pieces, signed, antique or set with good stones, are worth more intact, and the honest thing a buyer can do is tell you which pile yours is in before you sell.
Melt value: what the metal is worth
Melt value is arithmetic. Weigh the piece in grams, multiply by the fineness of its carat (9ct is 0.375, 14ct is 0.585, 18ct is 0.75, 22ct is 0.916), and multiply by the live price of pure gold per gram. That is the value of the gold in it. A buyer pays a share of that, and the share is the whole difference between one buyer and another. Ours is built into the published net price per gram below.
| Grade | Hallmark | We pay per gram |
|---|---|---|
| 9ct gold | 375 | €34.93$39.66£29.85 |
| 14ct gold | 585 | €56.57$64.24£48.35 |
| 18ct gold | 750 | €75.18$85.37£64.25 |
| 22ct gold | 916 | €91.81$104.25£78.46 |
| Sterling silver (925) | 925 | €1.03$1.17£0.88 |
Shown in USD for reference at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB reference rate, 30 Sep 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Shown in GBP for reference at €1 = £0.8546 (ECB reference rate, 30 Sep 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Stones, springs, steel clasps and the pitch inside a hollow bangle are not gold and a fair buyer weighs around them or deducts them. Hollow rope chains and lockets weigh less than they look. A worn 9ct wedding band of 3 grams is worth about 104.79 euro with us today, whether it is scratched, snapped or out of fashion.
Resale value: when a piece is worth more than its metal
Resale value exists when someone would pay for the piece itself, not the metal. Four things create it:
- Signed and designer pieces. Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Boodles and the like, and Irish names such as Kilkenny Design Workshops. Look for a signature, a serial number and, ideally, the box and papers.
- Diamonds and coloured stones. A diamond of half a carat or more, or a good sapphire, ruby or emerald, is usually worth more than the ring around it. Send any GIA, IGI or HRD certificate with the piece.
- Genuine age and workmanship. Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco jewellery in good condition, and hand-made Irish pieces with Dublin hallmarks, often sell at auction for several times melt.
- Watches. A gold watch case is priced on its gold, but a Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe or Cartier watch is worth far more whole. Message us before posting any branded watch.
If your pieces have none of these, scrap is the right route and you should sell to whoever pays the highest published net rate per gram. If they have one of them, get the melt value first from a published price list, then ask an auction house what it would estimate. The melt value is your floor; anything above it is the piece paying its way.
How we price jewellery
We buy whole pieces, stones in, hallmarked or not. Each piece is weighed on a calibrated scale and tested on an XRF analyser on camera, and stones are weighed out where practical. You are offered at least our published price per gram for the metal that is actually there, itemised piece by piece. If something looks worth more than its metal, a signature, a stone, an unusual piece, we say so before you decide, and we point you to where it will do better rather than melting it. Send certificates, receipts, boxes and old valuations with the parcel; they prove what a piece is. Never post your ID.
The details of what we buy, and the jewellery request form, are on the sell jewellery page. Silver jewellery is priced by weight at the sterling rate, 1.03 euro per gram today.
Selling a relative's jewellery
Inherited pieces follow the same logic with one extra step: if the estate is in probate, the jewellery is valued at its open market value at the date of death before anything is sold or shared out. Our inherited jewellery page covers valuations, what executors should keep, and how to sell fairly when the time comes.
Questions people ask
Where can I sell jewellery in Ireland?
For scrap value: gold buyers, jewellers and postal buyers, compared on the net price per gram for the carat. For resale value: auction houses (Adam's, Whyte's, O'Reilly's and regional salerooms), specialist dealers, or consignment. Get the metal value first from a published price list; it is the floor any other route has to beat.
How do I know if my jewellery is worth more than scrap?
Look for a maker's signature or a named house, a diamond over about half a carat or a good coloured stone, genuine age (Georgian, Victorian, Art Deco) with fine workmanship, or a designer box and papers. A plain 9ct chain, a worn wedding band or a single earring is worth its metal, and that is fine: the metal is real money.
Do you buy jewellery with the stones in?
Yes. We buy whole pieces. The metal is weighed and XRF tested, stones are weighed out where practical, and the published metal price is the floor of the offer. If a stone or the piece itself looks worth more than its metal, we tell you before you decide.
What about gold-plated or costume jewellery?
Plated, rolled gold and costume pieces carry a negligible amount of gold and no reputable buyer pays real money for them as metal. We say so plainly rather than make a token offer, and anything of that kind in your parcel comes back free.
Should I have jewellery valued before selling it?
For an estate, or for a piece you suspect has resale value, yes: a written valuation on an open market basis gives you a figure to test offers against. For ordinary scrap, no: a published per-gram rate and a kitchen scale tell you what to expect. Our valuation service covers the first case.
Ready to sell?
Check the net price per gram for your grade first, then request a free insured postal pack. Every item is tested on camera, the offer is itemised, and anything you decline comes back free.